Divisive viewpoints poisonous [Editorial]

As more Maryland Republicans distance themselves from Anne Arundel County Council candidate Michael Peroutka, Carroll residents should ask our own Commissioner Richard Rothschild if he will do the same, or if he will continue to stand by the person he has formed a relationship with and accepted a campaign donation from.

The Annapolis Capital reported that Del. Herb McMillan is the latest Republican to distance himself from Peroutka. Republican gubernatorial candidate Larry Hogan and GOP county executive nominee Steve Schuh have already said they won't support Peroutka's candidacy because of his affiliation with the League of the South, a group that believes in southern secession.

Among other things, the group stands against same-sex marriage and says on its website that multiculturalism threatens our Christian-Western civilization.

On its website, the group says, "If the South is going to survive, especially against a flood tide of massive Third World immigration and leftist attempts to destroy her very cultural and political foundations, she is going to have to seek her independence and govern herself."

Rothschild has been a contributor to Peroutka's Institute on the Constitution website. He even brought representatives from the Institute to lecture county employees, and his bid for re-election got a substantial boost from Peroutka.

McMillan told The Capital, "I don't believe anyone should support a person on the basis of party alone," McMillan said. "They should look at each candidate's record, and vote accordingly."

Perhaps many Carroll Republicans do subscribe to the views of Rothschild, Peroutka and organizations such as the League of the South. More likely, the majority just want less government and fewer taxes, and they understand that in order to survive as a country we all have to work together to find solutions.

Peroutka isn't getting much support from his party for some of his views, and what support he had seems to be dwindling every day. For Carroll, the question is whether Rothschild will continue to support him, accept money from him or provide work for his organization in the form of "classes" for county employees, or whether he will reject divisive views and instead focus on ways to bring people together.